#1 - for detailing and lines
#2 - for all around fine work
#3 - for building up of values and color

The Buon Fresco Painting Foundations 5 DVD Set is a highly detailed tutorial and real-time demonstration of foundational steps in painting on wet plaster - afresco.
Over 10 hours of real-time footage (replayed at higher speed to fit the DVD), numerous charts, text and illustrations, narrated real-time by the author iLia Anossov.

iLia Anossov’s Malibu Fresco project has been featured on the covers of 5 premier international magazines including Architectural Digest (AD) USA, AD Germany, AD Italy, House and Garden UK, C Magazine USA.
Currently iLia Anossov is teaching fresco painting at the Fresco School and the GETTY Institute in Los Angeles

I initially watched this 5 volume set of Buon Fresco DVD’s because they were highly recommended by another artist for my own use as a professional painter. I have an MFA, and have made my living in visual arts 40 years. Researching instructional materials for my university, museum and high school art classes I’ve never experienced such excellent detailed technical explanations combined with demonstrations start to finish as on these DVD’s.

It’s quite possible for anyone to watch all 5 videos in this set and create a quality fresco or greatly improve their art, either along with the artist-demonstrator or after watching. It’s also possible to separate the components into individual techniques; I now refer my drawing class students, adults and those in high school, to Vol 2, “Cartoon,” replacing my own materials, lectures and demo’s in values.

In short, watching and listening to these demonstrations is like an apprenticeship with a master artist. The advantage of real time as compared to the TV or DVD usual “chef style” of magically seeing the work already half complete, is that the student sees and hears details that would only be seen and heard over months or years of watching and listening. These gems appear, for example, while waiting for the materials to reach the proper stages. It’s one thing to say “mix the sand and lime together until blended,” and another to see exactly how water is added, how it’s stirred, turned over, cut and patted, how long it takes and exactly how it should and shouldn’t look and feel when ready. “You’re ready to paint when it’s slightly dry” is not as accurate as watching a test paper curl in a certain way to show that readiness.

The techniques, with the exception of the first, “Fresco Plaster, “are not only applicable to virtually any media, but should become familiar and basic to all artists.